Astronomers are savoring the flexibility they have gained by flying the world's largest infrared (IR) telescope following a June 23 Pluto occultation that required an 1,800-mi. dash to a sweet spot for viewing over the mid-Pacific Ocean. NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (Sofia), a Boeing 747SP modified to carry a 2.5-meter IR telescope, used a High-speed Imaging Photometer (HIPO) to make the observation, which occurred when Pluto passed before a distant star.
In the span of one week, President Barack Obama praises an aerospace supplier for contributing to the U.S. manufacturing base—then slams tax incentives that have helped sustain the aircraft industry during tough times. Visiting Alcoa's Davenport Works in Iowa, Obama said, “Almost every airplane in the world has some kind of Alcoa product in it.”
The biz av community was already upset with Obama over the administration's plan to dismantle the Block Aircraft Registration Request program, which allows owners to withhold aircraft registration numbers from online flight-tracking programs.
Meanwhile, contractors breathe a sigh of relief over not having to disclose to whom they make political donations. Word emerged in the spring that a potential new executive order from the Obama administration would require federal contractors to disclose certain political donations made in the two years before they bid for work (AW&ST, May 16, p. 21).
Budget politics continues to dominate debate on Capitol Hill, and the Senate has agreed to stay in session this week, rather than proceeding with a scheduled July 4 recess. Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, says defense and war costs have grown 74% since 2001, when the government was running a $128 billion surplus.
A major obstacle blocking Israel's purchase of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has been cleared, perhaps signaling that the U.S. is relaxing its hard-line approach to exporting JSF technologies that may be crucial to securing additional foreign sales.
As the tight race between Alenia Aermacchi and Korea Aerospace Industries in Israel's trainer competition approaches the finish line, the Israeli air force appears to be favoring the Italian M-346 over KAI's T-50 Golden Eagle. “Both are excellent platforms,” a senior Israel air force official tells Aviation Week.“But the Italian offer seems more attractive in terms of costs.”
Reaching a production agreement with Boeing is a cornerstone for a broader strategic plan for Alenia that includes a further round of internal reorganization beyond the one now under way. The current effort involves cutting the headcount by 1,000 and the integration of key functions—procurement, information technology, marketing and human resources—in three separate companies, Alenia Aeronautica, Alenia Aermacchi and Alenia North America, as part of Finmeccanica Group.
The power structure in the U.K. Defense Ministry will undergo sweeping changes under a series of reform proposals aimed at curing years of poor planning and weak program oversight. But there is growing concern that some of the reformist zeal could backfire and erode skills to manage major projects.
China's military build-up and increased assertiveness over its claims in the South China Sea is eliciting a strong response from Southeast Asian nations, which could turn this area into one of the most heavily patrolled on Earth. Recently there has been a spike in hostile incidents in the region. For example, Chinese vessels cut the cables of Vietnamese oil surveying ships and Chinese personnel reportedly erected posts on a shallow reef about 125 nm from the Philippine province of Palawan.
Cyberoperations against the U.S. thus far have been largely confined to reconnaissance and mapping. But full-scale attacks may not be far off. Recently confirmed Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says there's good reason to believe a sneak cyberattack on the country's key power supplies is likely. Moreover, an FBI cyberexpert says the only reason cyberjihadists have not unleashed a major strike is a lack of terrorist leadership focus on organizing the efforts of Middle East hackers.
Only months after selecting Boeing as its KC-46A contractor, the U.S. Air Force has learned that the company intended from the outset not to develop the KC-135 replacement at the agreed-upon $4.4 billion target—or, even, the $4.9 billion contract ceiling.
Industry observers often are struck by the rate at which new unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) of all sizes are making their debut around the world. Even more striking are the technical advances to increase UAVs' tactical and strategic value. Among the most innovative are Israeli manufacturers pursuing electrically powered systems that combine ease of handling and economy with extended range, as well as advanced-technology payloads and propulsion systems.
Bill Sweetman (Washington), David A. Fulghum (Washington)
The latest Internet coup for China's aviation-mad corps of photographers shows a new unmanned aircraft with a joined wing and tail that could make it a reconnaissance truck with considerably increased range and payload and better handling at high altitudes.
Advanced autonomous technology has made an unlikely combat debut, guiding aerial cargo drops to more accurate touchdowns close to forward bases in the Afghan mountains, as the U.S. Army continues to push the frontiers of unmanned systems.
One of Europe's leading space companies is placing a high-stakes bet on governments increasingly outsourcing key space activities. Astrium Services, a division of European aerospace giant EADS, is taking privatization of satellite communications and remote-sensing services further than any other company in the industry so far, spending hundreds of millions on its own and in some cases assuming big risks, sometimes with little or no government backing.
Michael Mecham (San Francisco), Andy Nativi (Paris)
Boeing has shifted Alenia Aeronautica to a secondary role for development and production of the composite horizontal stabilizer for the stretched 787-9 as it also broadens the role of its own factories for the new airplane's vertical stabilizer. The two production moves are not directly connected but they reflect a general drive by Boeing to gain greater direct control over the twinjet's manufacturing processes while strengthening the company's supply base.
Republic Airways Holdings plans to acquire 80 Airbus A320-family NEO (new engine option) aircraft and as many as 80 Bombardier CSeries aircraft for its Frontier Airlines low-cost subsidiary, but these deals should include an asterisk. Frontier is struggling just to remain afloat and Republic might not continue to own it. With the first CSeries not scheduled for delivery until 2015 and the first NEO in 2016, the uncertainty surrounding Frontier and its future ties to Republic makes those orders suspect.
Brunei is in one of the fastest growing, most dynamic regions of the world, but it is falling behind its Southeast Asian neighbors and could be destined to become an economic backwater. Loss-making national carrier Royal Brunei Airlines will stop serving Kuching in East Malaysia starting July 28 and will stop flying to Auckland, New Zealand; Brisbane and Perth, Australia; and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, effective Oct. 30.
Workers at Alaska Airlines relate to the effects of higher fuel prices when they fill their own cars, so when the airline asked for ideas on how it could save money, they were ready and willing. “Fuel is such a big expense of our businesses, employees were keen to help us save,” says Fred Mohr, vice president of maintenance and engineering.
Even as construction continues on the new Maynard H. Jackson International Terminal here, Delta Air Lines is also in the process of building a new $1.2 billion facility at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport attached to the existing Terminal 4.
A “huge” effort between Alaska Airlines, Boeing, FAA and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac) involves redesigning its arrival routes and traffic patterns. “Green Skies Over Seattle” would enable pilots to execute optimal profile descents through a gateway, and then using a series of waypoints, turn and intercept a required navigation performance (RNP) or an instrument landing system (ILS) approach, says Gary Beck, vice president of Alaska Air Group, which oversees the airport.
Raytheon Missile Systems may have a solution to two of the Pentagon's main stumbling blocks—building militarily effective weapons that do not jeopardize civilians and placing new defense products into service without years of delay from a stunningly bureaucratic acquisition system. With a key purchase, the company has expanded its potential to quickly develop and field a wide range of directed-energy warheads—primarily designed to destroy enemy electronics—for use on its catalog of air-to-ground, air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles.
The great majority of Australia's people and defense industries are on the southeastern fringe of the continent. But valuable and vulnerable natural resources are in the north and west, much closer to Asia. Where should the country put the weight of its defense forces? Until now, the answer for the air force and navy has been “mostly in the southeast.” The government, no longer sure of that stance, launched a review of military basing on June 22.
Airbus scored an unquestionably lopsided win in this year's Paris air show order race, but the week-long flurry may be more of a tactical success than a strategic breakthrough in the competitive airliner wars.
